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Genesis11:10–26

Genealogy from Shem to Abram

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Genesis 11:10–26 — Genealogy from Shem to Abram. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

10

This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’êl·leh tō·wl·ḏōṯ šêm šə·nā·ṯa·yim ’a·ḥar ham·mab·būl šēm mə·’aṯ šā·nāh ben- way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- ’ar·paḵ·šāḏ

Word by word13 · parsed
אֵ֚לֶּה’êl·lehThisH428
√ ʼêl-leh — these or thosePronouncommon plural
ʼêlleh (H428), "these" — the demonstrative that conventionally heads a Genesis tôlḏōṯ-section, pointing forward to the list about to unfold.
תּוֹלְדֹ֣תtō·wl·ḏōṯis the accountH8435
√ tôwlᵉdâh — (plural only) descent, iNounfeminine plural construct
tôlḏōṯ (H8435) is the structural hinge of Genesis. Used eleven times across the book, it segments the whole into "generations." Here it opens the fifth such document and turns the camera, after Babel's scattering, back onto the one line that matters for redemption.
שֵׁ֔םšêmof ShemH8035
√ Shêm — Shem, a son of Noah (often includNounpropermasculine singular
שְׁנָתַ֖יִםšə·nā·ṯa·yimTwo yearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfd
אַחַ֥ר’a·ḥarafterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partAdverb
הַמַּבּֽוּל׃ham·mab·būlthe floodH3999
√ mabbûwl — a delugeArticleNounmasculine singular
שֵׁ֚םšēmwhen ShemH8035
√ Shêm — Shem, a son of Noah (often includNounpropermasculine singular
מְאַ֣תmə·’aṯwas 100H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredNumberfeminine singular construct
שָׁנָ֔הšā·nāhyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
בֶּן־ben-oldH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine singular construct
וַיּ֖וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ — the Hifil consecutive imperfect of yâlad. The causative stem ("caused to bear / begat") will toll thirteen more times through this unit, the metronome of the genealogy.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
The untranslatable ʼeṯ (H853), the definite direct-object marker, has no English equivalent; it simply flags Arphaxad as the object of the begetting.
אַרְפַּכְשָׁ֑ד’ar·paḵ·šāḏArphaxadH775
√ ʼArpakshad — Arpakshad, a son of NoahNounpropermasculine singular
Arphaxad (H775) — the one name in the list that is not a transparent Hebrew word (see Ellicott). The Pulpit Commentary connects its element kśd to the Chaldeans (Kasdim), the people among whom Abram will be found.
11

And after he had become the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê hō·w·lî·ḏōw ’eṯ- ’ar·paḵ·šāḏ šêm way·ḥî- ḥă·mêš mê·’ō·wṯ šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ bā·nîm ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ

Word by word12 · parsed
אַֽחֲרֵי֙’a·ḥă·rêAnd afterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
הוֹלִיד֣וֹhō·w·lî·ḏōwhe had become the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
אַרְפַּכְשָׁ֔ד’ar·paḵ·šāḏArphaxadH775
√ ʼArpakshad — Arpakshad, a son of NoahNounpropermasculine singular
שֵׁ֗םšêmShemH8035
√ Shêm — Shem, a son of Noah (often includNounpropermasculine singular
וַֽיְחִי־way·ḥî-livedH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayḥî (H2421) — "and he lived." The whole back half of each verse measures a man not by his deeds but by the years he kept living after the son who carried the line was born.
חֲמֵ֥שׁḥă·mêš500H2568
√ châmêsh — fiveNumberfeminine singular construct
ḥămêš (H2568), "five" — in construct with the plural "hundreds" (v. 7) to make 500, the round figure that, added to the 100 of v. 10, gives Shem's full 600.
מֵא֖וֹתmê·’ō·wṯ. . .H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredNumberfeminine plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֥וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏand hadH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ again (H3205) — the same causative verb now governs the anonymous "sons and daughters," the unrecorded breadth of Shem's house.
בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmother sonsH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural
banîm (H1121), "sons" — generic, unnamed; Scripture, says the Pulpit Commentary, is silent about them "as not being included in the holy line."
וּבָנֽוֹת׃סū·ḇā·nō·wṯand daughtersH1323
√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
12

When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·’ar·paḵ·šaḏ ḥay ḥā·mêš ū·šə·lō·šîm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- šā·laḥ

Word by word8 · parsed
וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֣דwə·’ar·paḵ·šaḏWhen ArphaxadH775
√ ʼArpakshad — Arpakshad, a son of NoahConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular
חַ֔יḥaywasH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyVerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular
ḥay (H2421) — Qal perfect, "he lived / had lived." The genealogy alternates between this stative perfect (for the age at fathering) and the consecutive wayḥî (for the years that followed).
חָמֵ֥שׁḥā·mêš35H2568
√ châmêsh — fiveNumberfeminine singular
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖יםū·šə·lō·šîm. . .H7970
√ shᵉlôwshîym — thirtyConjunctive wawNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyears oldH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֖וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — the causative "begat" once more, the unvarying verb of descent.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
שָֽׁלַח׃šā·laḥShelahH7974
√ Shelach — Shelach, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
Šālaḥ (H7974), Shelah — a name shared with Genesis 10:24 and 1 Chronicles 1:18, knitting this chronological list to the parallel ethnographic and Chronicler tables.
13

And after he had become the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê hō·w·lî·ḏōw ’eṯ- še·laḥ ’ar·paḵ·šaḏ way·ḥî šā·lōš wə·’ar·ba‘ mê·’ō·wṯ šā·nîm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ bā·nîm ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ

Word by word14 · parsed
אַֽחֲרֵי֙’a·ḥă·rêAnd afterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
הוֹלִיד֣וֹhō·w·lî·ḏōwhe had become the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
שֶׁ֔לַחše·laḥShelahH7974
√ Shelach — Shelach, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
אַרְפַּכְשַׁ֗ד’ar·paḵ·šaḏArphaxadH775
√ ʼArpakshad — Arpakshad, a son of NoahNounpropermasculine singular
וַֽיְחִ֣יway·ḥîlivedH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
שָׁלֹ֣שׁšā·lōš403H7969
√ shâlôwsh — threeNumberfeminine singular
šālōš (H7969), "three" — the leading unit of the 403, again stated before the larger "four hundreds."
וְאַרְבַּ֥עwə·’ar·ba‘. . .H702
√ ʼarbaʻ — fourConjunctive wawNumberfeminine singular construct
מֵא֖וֹתmê·’ō·wṯ. . .H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredNumberfeminine plural
שָׁנִ֔יםšā·nîmyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine plural
šānîm (H8141, plural) standing beside the singular šānāh in v.-final position — a stylistic doubling of the year-word, not two different measures.
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāh. . .H8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֥וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏand hadH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — the begetting of the unnamed "sons and daughters," closing Arphaxad's entry as every entry closes.
בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmother sonsH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural
וּבָנֽוֹת׃סū·ḇā·nō·wṯand daughtersH1323
√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
14

When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·še·laḥ ḥay šə·lō·šîm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- ‘ê·ḇer

Word by word7 · parsed
וְשֶׁ֥לַחwə·še·laḥWhen ShelahH7974
√ Shelach — Shelach, a postdiluvian patriarchConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular
Šālaḥ (H7974) fronted with the conjunctive waw — "and Shelah," the subject taking first position to open his entry.
חַ֖יḥaywasH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyVerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםšə·lō·šîm30H7970
√ shᵉlôwshîym — thirtyNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyears oldH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֖וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — the begetting verb, here delivering Eber, the eponymous ancestor of the Hebrews.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
עֵֽבֶר׃‘ê·ḇerEberH5677
√ ʻÊbêr — Eber, the name of two patriarchs and four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular
ʻÊḇer (H5677) is the lexical seed of the very word Hebrew. Ellicott calls the name "the passage," marking "the migration of the head-quarters of the race, and the crossing of some great obstacle" — likely the Euphrates.
15

And after he had become the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê hō·w·lî·ḏōw ’eṯ- ‘ê·ḇer še·laḥ way·ḥî- wə·’ar·ba‘ mê·’ō·wṯ šā·lōš šā·nāh šā·nîm way·yō·w·leḏ bā·nîm ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ

Word by word14 · parsed
אַחֲרֵי֙’a·ḥă·rêAnd afterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
הוֹלִיד֣וֹhō·w·lî·ḏōwhe had become the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
עֵ֔בֶר‘ê·ḇerEberH5677
√ ʻÊbêr — Eber, the name of two patriarchs and four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular
שֶׁ֗לַחše·laḥShelahH7974
√ Shelach — Shelach, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
וַֽיְחִי־way·ḥî-livedH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayḥî (H2421) — "and he lived," the post-son remainder of Shelah's 433 years.
וְאַרְבַּ֥עwə·’ar·ba‘403H702
√ ʼarbaʻ — fourConjunctive wawNumberfeminine singular construct
מֵא֖וֹתmê·’ō·wṯ. . .H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredNumberfeminine plural
שָׁלֹ֣שׁšā·lōš. . .H7969
√ shâlôwsh — threeNumberfeminine singular
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāh. . .H8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
שָׁנִ֔יםšā·nîmyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine plural
וַיּ֥וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏand hadH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — the begetting of further, unrecorded children.
בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmother sonsH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural
וּבָנֽוֹת׃סū·ḇā·nō·wṯand daughtersH1323
√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
ū-ḇānôṯ (H1323, baṯ) — daughters; the only feminine note in an otherwise patrilineal register.
16

When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

‘ê·ḇer way·ḥî- ’ar·ba‘ ū·šə·lō·šîm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- pā·leḡ

Word by word8 · parsed
עֵ֕בֶר‘ê·ḇerWhen EberH5677
√ ʻÊbêr — Eber, the name of two patriarchs and four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular
ʻÊḇer (H5677) opening the verse as subject — the Hebrew-named patriarch now begets the man whose name memorializes a great dividing.
וַֽיְחִי־way·ḥî-wasH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
אַרְבַּ֥ע’ar·ba‘34H702
√ ʼarbaʻ — fourNumberfeminine singular
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖יםū·šə·lō·šîm. . .H7970
√ shᵉlôwshîym — thirtyConjunctive wawNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyears oldH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֖וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — "he begat" Peleg.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
פָּֽלֶג׃pā·leḡPelegH6389
√ Peleg — Peleg, a son of ShemNounpropermasculine singular
Peleḡ (H6389) — "division." The name is the genealogy's one explicit hook back to the scattering of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9) and the tables of Genesis 10.
17

And after he had become the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê hō·w·lî·ḏōw ’eṯ- pe·leḡ ‘ê·ḇer way·ḥî- šə·lō·šîm wə·’ar·ba‘ mê·’ō·wṯ šā·nāh šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ bā·nîm ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ

Word by word14 · parsed
אַחֲרֵי֙’a·ḥă·rêAnd afterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
הוֹלִיד֣וֹhō·w·lî·ḏōwhe had become the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
פֶּ֔לֶגpe·leḡPelegH6389
√ Peleg — Peleg, a son of ShemNounpropermasculine singular
עֵ֗בֶר‘ê·ḇerEberH5677
√ ʻÊbêr — Eber, the name of two patriarchs and four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular
וַֽיְחִי־way·ḥî-livedH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayḥî (H2421) — Eber's 430 remaining years, the high-water mark of post-flood longevity.
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםšə·lō·šîm430H7970
√ shᵉlôwshîym — thirtyNumbercommon plural
šəlōšîm (H7970), "thirty" — leading the 430.
וְאַרְבַּ֥עwə·’ar·ba‘. . .H702
√ ʼarbaʻ — fourConjunctive wawNumberfeminine singular construct
מֵא֖וֹתmê·’ō·wṯ. . .H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredNumberfeminine plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāh. . .H8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
שָׁנָ֔הšā·nāhyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֥וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏand hadH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — begetting the unnamed sons, among whom (Gill) was Joktan, founder of the Arabian lines of Genesis 10.
בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmother sonsH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural
וּבָנֽוֹת׃סū·ḇā·nō·wṯand daughtersH1323
√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
18

When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

p̄e·leḡ way·ḥî- šə·lō·šîm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- rə·‘ū

Word by word7 · parsed
פֶ֖לֶגp̄e·leḡWhen PelegH6389
√ Peleg — Peleg, a son of ShemNounpropermasculine singular
Peleḡ (H6389) as subject — the man of "division" now fathers Reu and begins the steep drop in longevity.
וַֽיְחִי־way·ḥî-wasH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםšə·lō·šîm30H7970
√ shᵉlôwshîym — thirtyNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyears oldH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֖וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — "he begat" Reu.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
רְעֽוּ׃rə·‘ūReuH7466
√ Rᵉʻûw — Reu, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
Rəʻû (H7466), Reu — Gill notes the LXX renders it "Ragau," the name later attached to a Median plain and city; the patriarch-names double as place-names across the ancient Near East.
19

And after he had become the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê hō·w·lî·ḏōw ’eṯ- rə·‘ū p̄e·leḡ way·ḥî- tê·ša‘ ū·mā·ṯa·yim šā·nāh šā·nîm way·yō·w·leḏ bā·nîm ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ

Word by word13 · parsed
אַחֲרֵי֙’a·ḥă·rêAnd afterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
הוֹלִיד֣וֹhō·w·lî·ḏōwhe had become the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
רְע֔וּrə·‘ūReuH7466
√ Rᵉʻûw — Reu, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
פֶ֗לֶגp̄e·leḡPelegH6389
√ Peleg — Peleg, a son of ShemNounpropermasculine singular
וַֽיְחִי־way·ḥî-livedH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayḥî (H2421) — Peleg's 209 remaining years.
תֵּ֥שַׁעtê·ša‘209H8672
√ têshaʻ — nine or (ordinal) ninthNumberfeminine singular
וּמָאתַ֣יִםū·mā·ṯa·yim. . .H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredConjunctive wawNumberfd
ū-māṯayim (H3967) — the dual "two hundred," formed by the dual ending rather than a separate number-word.
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāh. . .H8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
שָׁנִ֖יםšā·nîmyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine plural
וַיּ֥וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏand hadH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — the begetting of the unnamed children; the tradition (Gill) even attaches Melchizedek to Peleg's house, though Scripture is silent.
בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmother sonsH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural
וּבָנֽוֹת׃סū·ḇā·nō·wṯand daughtersH1323
√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
20

When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

rə·‘ū way·ḥî šə·ta·yim ū·šə·lō·šîm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- śə·rūḡ

Word by word8 · parsed
רְע֔וּrə·‘ūWhen ReuH7466
√ Rᵉʻûw — Reu, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
Rəʻû (H7466) as subject — Reu fathers Serug, advancing the line another generation toward Abram.
וַיְחִ֣יway·ḥîwasH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
שְׁתַּ֥יִםšə·ta·yim32H8147
√ shᵉnayim — twoNumberfd
šətayim (H8147), "two" — the dual-form numeral opening the count of 32.
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖יםū·šə·lō·šîm. . .H7970
√ shᵉlôwshîym — thirtyConjunctive wawNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyears oldH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֖וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
שְׂרֽוּג׃śə·rūḡSerugH8286
√ Sᵉrûwg — Serug, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
Śərûḡ (H8286), Serug — Cambridge identifies it as "the name of a town and region near Haran in Mesopotamia," the homeland to which Terah's clan belongs.
21

And after he had become the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê hō·w·lî·ḏōw ’eṯ- śə·rūḡ rə·‘ū way·ḥî še·ḇa‘ ū·mā·ṯa·yim šā·nāh šā·nîm way·yō·w·leḏ bā·nîm ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ

Word by word13 · parsed
אַחֲרֵי֙’a·ḥă·rêAnd afterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
הוֹלִיד֣וֹhō·w·lî·ḏōwhe had become the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
שְׂר֔וּגśə·rūḡSerugH8286
√ Sᵉrûwg — Serug, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
רְע֗וּrə·‘ūReuH7466
√ Rᵉʻûw — Reu, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
וַיְחִ֣יway·ḥîlivedH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayḥî (H2421) — Reu's 207 remaining years.
שֶׁ֥בַעše·ḇa‘207H7651
√ shebaʻ — seven (as the sacred full one)Numberfeminine singular
šeḇaʻ (H7651), "seven" — the leading numeral of 207, freighted in Hebrew with the sense of completeness.
וּמָאתַ֣יִםū·mā·ṯa·yim. . .H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredConjunctive wawNumberfd
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāh. . .H8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
שָׁנִ֖יםšā·nîmyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine plural
וַיּ֥וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏand hadH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — begetting the unnamed children, in a generation Gill links to the first kingdoms and the spread of star-worship.
בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmother sonsH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural
וּבָנֽוֹת׃סū·ḇā·nō·wṯand daughtersH1323
√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
22

When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

śə·rūḡ way·ḥî šə·lō·šîm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- nā·ḥō·wr

Word by word7 · parsed
שְׂר֖וּגśə·rūḡWhen SerugH8286
√ Sᵉrûwg — Serug, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
Śərûḡ (H8286) as subject — Serug fathers Nahor, the grandfather of the patriarch.
וַיְחִ֥יway·ḥîwasH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםšə·lō·šîm30H7970
√ shᵉlôwshîym — thirtyNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyears oldH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֖וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — "he begat" Nahor.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
נָחֽוֹר׃nā·ḥō·wrNahorH5152
√ Nâchôwr — Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
Nāḥôr (H5152) — a pivotal name: it belongs both to Abram's grandfather here and to Abram's brother in v. 26, and stands at the center of the verbal links to 1 Chronicles 1:26 and Joshua 24:2.
23

And after he had become the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê hō·w·lî·ḏōw ’eṯ- nā·ḥō·wr śə·rūḡ way·ḥî mā·ṯa·yim šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ bā·nîm ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ

Word by word11 · parsed
אַחֲרֵ֛י’a·ḥă·rêAnd afterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
הוֹלִיד֥וֹhō·w·lî·ḏōwhe had become the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
נָח֖וֹרnā·ḥō·wrNahorH5152
√ Nâchôwr — Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
שְׂר֗וּגśə·rūḡSerugH8286
√ Sᵉrûwg — Serug, a postdiluvian patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
וַיְחִ֣יway·ḥîlivedH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayḥî (H2421) — Serug's 200 remaining years.
מָאתַ֣יִםmā·ṯa·yim200H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredNumberfd
māṯayim (H3967) — the dual "two hundred," standing alone without units.
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֥וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏand hadH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — the begetting of unnamed, otherwise-unrecorded children.
בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmother sonsH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural
וּבָנֽוֹת׃סū·ḇā·nō·wṯand daughtersH1323
√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
24

When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

nā·ḥō·wr way·ḥî tê·ša‘ wə·‘eś·rîm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- tā·raḥ

Word by word8 · parsed
נָח֔וֹרnā·ḥō·wrWhen NahorH5152
√ Nâchôwr — Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
Nāḥôr (H5152) as subject — Nahor, the shortest-lived of the line, fathers Terah.
וַיְחִ֣יway·ḥîwasH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
תֵּ֥שַׁעtê·ša‘29H8672
√ têshaʻ — nine or (ordinal) ninthNumberfeminine singular
têšaʻ (H8672), "nine" — the leading unit of his fathering-age, 29, the earliest in the genealogy.
וְעֶשְׂרִ֖יםwə·‘eś·rîm. . .H6242
√ ʻesrîym — twentyConjunctive wawNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyears oldH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֖וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
תָּֽרַח׃tā·raḥTerahH8646
√ Terach — Terach, the father of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
Teraḥ (H8646), Terah — Abram's father. With him the named line reaches the threshold of the call of Abram, even as (Poole, Gill) idolatry enters the chosen house.
25

And after he had become the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê hō·w·lî·ḏōw ’eṯ- te·raḥ nā·ḥō·wr way·ḥî tə·ša‘- ‘eś·rêh ū·mə·’aṯ šā·nāh šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ bā·nîm ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ

Word by word14 · parsed
אַחֲרֵי֙’a·ḥă·rêAnd afterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
הוֹלִיד֣וֹhō·w·lî·ḏōwhe had become the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
תֶּ֔רַחte·raḥTerahH8646
√ Terach — Terach, the father of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
נָח֗וֹרnā·ḥō·wrNahorH5152
√ Nâchôwr — Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
וַיְחִ֣יway·ḥîlivedH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayḥî (H2421) — Nahor's 119 remaining years, totaling the shortest postdiluvian life of 148.
תְּשַֽׁע־tə·ša‘-119H8672
√ têshaʻ — nine or (ordinal) ninthNumberfeminine singular construct
עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה‘eś·rêh. . .H6240
√ ʻâsâr — ten (only in combination), iNumberfeminine singular construct
ʻeśrêh (H6240) — the special "-teen" element that, with təšaʻ, forms "nineteen," a teen-construction unique among this unit's numbers.
וּמְאַ֣תū·mə·’aṯ. . .H3967
√ mêʼâh — a hundredConjunctive wawNumberfeminine singular construct
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāh. . .H8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
שָׁנָ֖הšā·nāhyearsH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֥וֹלֶדway·yō·w·leḏand hadH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — begetting the unnamed children before the genealogy turns to Terah's own threefold house.
בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmother sonsH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural
וּבָנֽוֹת׃סū·ḇā·nō·wṯand daughtersH1323
√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural
26

When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ṯe·raḥ way·ḥî- šiḇ·‘îm šā·nāh way·yō·w·leḏ ’eṯ- ’aḇ·rām ’eṯ- nā·ḥō·wr wə·’eṯ- hā·rān

Word by word11 · parsed
תֶ֖רַחṯe·raḥWhen TerahH8646
√ Terach — Terach, the father of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
Teraḥ (H8646) as subject — and like Noah, Terah closes a ten-name genealogy as the father of three sons.
וַֽיְחִי־way·ḥî-wasH2421
√ châyâh — to live, whether literally or figurativelyConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
שִׁבְעִ֣יםšiḇ·‘îm70H7657
√ shibʻîym — seventyNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāhyears oldH8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
וַיּ֙וֹלֶד֙way·yō·w·leḏhe became the father ofH3205
√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
wayyôleḏ (H3205) — the genealogy's final "begat," and (Poole) an ingressive "began to beget," since the three sons span decades of Terah's life.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
אַבְרָ֔ם’aḇ·rāmAbramH87
√ ʼAbrâm — Abram, the original name of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
ʼAḇrām (H87), "exalted father" — the goal of the whole list. Every "begat" since v. 10 has been bending toward this name; Matthew Henry calls him "the friend of God" and the line's bridge "towards Christ, the promised Seed."
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
נָח֖וֹרnā·ḥō·wrNahorH5152
√ Nâchôwr — Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker
הָרָֽן׃hā·rānand HaranH2039
√ Hârân — Haran, the name of two menNounpropermasculine singular
Hārān (H2039) — "mountaineer" (Barnes) or "Highlanders" (Cambridge); father of Lot, and (per Poole and the Pulpit Commentary) almost certainly the eldest son though named last.

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The toledoth turns the camera back to the line of promise — 11:10–11

The unit opens with the fifth great tôlḏōṯ (H8435) formula of Genesis — "these are the generations of Shem" — the same structural hinge that segments the whole book (cf. 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1). The Pulpit Commentary reads the move exactly: the section "reverts to the main purpose of the inspired narrative, which is to trace the onward development of the line of promise … through ten generations till it reaches Abram." Matthew Poole sharpens it — Moses records "not all the generations of Shem … but of those who were the seminary of the church, and the progenitors of Christ." After Babel's centrifugal scattering (11:1–9), the text becomes centripetal, narrowing from the seventy nations of chapter 10 to a single thread. Keil & Delitzsch observe that "the narrative returns to Shem, and traces his descendants in a direct line to Terah the father of Abraham."

ii. The metronome: ḥāyāh and the Hifil of yâlad, with the death-clause withheld — 11:10–25

Each entry runs on two Hebrew verbs in lockstep: wayḥî (H2421, "and he lived") and wayyôleḏ (H3205, the Hifil causative "and he caused-to-be-born / begat"). The machine layer flags what English smooths: the idiom ben-meʼaṯ šānāh, a man as "son of a hundred years" (v. 10), and the causative force of the begetting-verb, the fathers literally causing the line forward. John Gill marks a deliberate silence: unlike Genesis 5, "it is not added as before the flood, 'and he died' … but the lives of these being shorter, and gradually decreasing, it is omitted." The men are measured by their living, not sealed by a death-note.

iii. The dwindling of days — judgment written into the chronology — 11:12–25

The numbers tell their own theology. The Pulpit Commentary calls Arphaxad's fathering at 35 "the first indication of a change having transpired upon human life after the Flood," and Cambridge urges the reader to "observe the sudden decline in the length of Peleg's life." Keil & Delitzsch tally it precisely — Shem reaches 600, but "Arphaxad lived only 438 years, Salah 433, and Eber 464; and again, with Peleg the duration of life fell to 239 years … and Nahor not more than 148" — and read in it the imprint of "the two catastrophes, the flood and the separation of the human race into nations." Joseph Benson sees "the wise disposal of Providence, rather than any decay of nature," and singles out Eber, "the longest lived of any that were born after the flood; which perhaps was the reward of his strict adherence to the ways of God." The lifespans halve, then halve again — a quiet liturgy of mortality folded into a birth-register.

iv. Names that carry the history — and the shadow of idolatry — 11:14–26

Ellicott observes that, but for Arphaxad, "the names in this genealogy are all Hebrew words, and are full of meaning." Eber (ʻÊḇer, H5677), "from across," is the lexical root of the word Hebrew itself — the Pulpit Commentary names him "the ancestor of the Hebrews … from his descendants having crossed the Euphrates." Peleg (H6389), "division," hooks back to Babel; Serug (H8286) and Nahor (H5152) double as Mesopotamian place-names near Haran. But the line darkens before it crowns: Matthew Poole flatly states "Nahor was the first patriarch who fell to idolatry," and Gill, citing Joshua 24:2, says of Terah that "he was an idolater." The chosen line is no aristocracy of the righteous; it runs straight through idol-worshipping Chaldea — which is precisely the point of grace.

v. Terah's three sons and the name toward which the list bends — 11:26

Like Noah before him (5:32), Terah closes a ten-name table as father of three: Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Matthew Poole catches the grammar — wayyôleḏ here means "began to beget," and Abram is "first named in order of dignity … not in order of time," Haran being likely the eldest. The Pulpit Commentary works the arithmetic: since Abram was 75 at Terah's death (12:4) and Terah lived 205 years (11:32), "Abram was born in Terah's 130th year." Cambridge unpacks the goal-name: ʼAḇrām (H87), "the father (ab) is exalted (ram)." Every causative "begat" since verse 10 has been bending the genealogy toward this man — whom Matthew Henry names "the friend of God," the bridge "leading towards Christ, the promised Seed, who was the son of Abram."

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

Read under Sola Scriptura, this is what a bare list of names and numbers is doing in inspired Scripture: it is the Bible's own answer to Babel. Chapter 11 began with a humanity that wanted to "make a name" for itself and was scattered (11:4–9); the same chapter ends by quietly recording the names God Himself is keeping. Against the noise of seventy confused tongues, ten patriarchs are listed in a single sober Hebrew formula — he lived, he begat — and the death-clause that thundered through Genesis 5 ("and he died") is, strikingly, withheld. The fathers are remembered by their living. Yet the lifespans visibly shrink, generation by generation, from Shem's 600 to Nahor's 148: the wages of the flood and of Babel are written right into the chronology, so that even a genealogy preaches mortality. And the line is no parade of saints — it descends through Terah, whom Joshua 24:2 names an idol-server in Chaldea. That is the scandal and the comfort: the redemptive thread runs through idolaters, through shortened lives, through unnamed daughters and forgotten sons, and arrives — by the relentless causative verb yâlad, "he caused to bear" — at one name, Abram. The God whom men could not reach by a tower reaches down through a family tree. (This paragraph is the tool's own fallible reading, offered to be tested against the text — not Scripture itself.)

Babel built a name and was scattered; God kept a list of names, and through it came Abram — and the Seed.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

The parallel line in the Chronicler's roll-call verbal / quotation — confirmed

1 Chronicles 1:24–27 re-runs this exact descent — Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram — as a compressed name-chain. The Verifier records the verbal link at the Terah–Nahor junction (v. 26 ↔ 1 Chr 1:26) through the shared proper names themselves. Albert Barnes leans on the Chronicler to argue that the LXX's extra "Cainan" is an interpolation, since "this name does not occur even in the Septuagint in 1 Chronicles 1:24."

1 Chronicles 1:24 · 1 Chronicles 1:26 · 1 Chronicles 1:18

basis: Rare shared proper-name lexemes computed by the Verifier carry the verbal weight: H7974 Shelach (in 7 vv) + H775 ʼArpakshad (in 9 vv) at the Arphaxad/Shelah junction (Gen 11:12 ↔ 1 Chr 1:18), and H8286 Sᵉrûwg (in only 5 vv) at the Serug junction (Gen 11:20 ↔ 1 Chr 1:26). These names are too rare to co-occur by chance — the Chronicler is reproducing this same Shemite line. (The mid-frequency Terah/Nahor names also recur at Gen 11:26 ↔ 1 Chr 1:26, but the rare names are what confirm the parallel.)

The same names in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) verbal / quotation — confirmed

Five of these patriarchs — Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, and Shem — already appear in the ethnographic Table of Nations (Gen 10:21–25). Cambridge notes the names "coincide with those in Genesis 10:22; 10:24–25." Keil & Delitzsch explain the overlap: in chapter 10 "the object was to point out the connection in which all the descendants of Eber stood to one another," while here they are "repeated … to follow the chronological thread of the family line." Same names, two different purposes — breadth there, depth here.

Genesis 10:21 · Genesis 10:22 · Genesis 10:24 · Genesis 10:25

basis: Verifier-computed rare shared lexemes: H775 ʼArpakshad (9 vv) + H7974 Shelach (7 vv) + H3205 yâlad at Gen 11:12 ↔ Gen 10:24; and H6389 Peleg (7 vv) + H5677 ʻÊbêr (15 vv) + H3205 yâlad at Gen 11:16 ↔ Gen 10:25. The proper names are too rare to be coincidental.

Terah and Nahor named as idolaters across the Jordan structural / thematic — confirmed

Joshua, rehearsing Israel's origins at Shechem, says: "Your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods" (Josh 24:2). Both Ellicott and Gill cite this verse to establish that the chosen line emerged out of active idolatry — Gill: "that he was an idolater appears from Joshua 24:2." The Verifier confirms the verbal tie through the shared rare names Terah (H8646) and Nahor (H5152).

Joshua 24:2

basis: Verifier-computed shared lexemes: H8646 Terach (in 11 vv) and H5152 Nâchôwr (in 17 vv), both present at Gen 11:24–26 and Josh 24:2. Editorially under-claimed: these names are only mid-frequency (11 and 17 occurrences, not the truly rare 5–9 of Serug/Shelah/Arphaxad), and Joshua does not quote Genesis — it independently names the same persons. The link is a shared figure across the canon (structural), not a verbal quotation. Joshua's theological charge (idolatry beyond the River) is the commentators' inference, not Genesis's own wording.

The toledoth seam: this list continues at Genesis 11:27 structural / thematic — confirmed

The very next verse opens a fresh formula — "this is the account (tôlḏōṯ) of Terah" (11:27) — handing the narrative from the genealogical register into the story of Abram and Lot. Keil & Delitzsch read v. 26 as deliberately closing "like that in Genesis 5:32, with the names of three sons of Terah … Abram as the father of the chosen family, Nahor as the ancestor of Rebekah … and Haran as the father of Lot." The list ends precisely where the patriarchal narratives begin.

Genesis 11:27 · Genesis 11:29 · Genesis 11:31

basis: Verifier-computed shared lexemes H8435 tôwlᵉdâh (in 39 vv) + H3205 yâlad + H428 ʼêl-leh at Gen 11:10 ↔ Gen 11:27 mark a recurring structural formula, not a quotation; the common words are mid-to-high frequency, so the link is the shared tôlḏōṯ pattern, tiered structural rather than verbal.

Cainan, and the genealogy carried into Luke's account of Christ flagged — verify source

Luke's genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:34–36) runs this very Shem-to-Abram line in reverse — but inserts a second Cainan between Arphaxad and Shelah, following the LXX. Barnes, Cambridge, and the Pulpit Commentary all treat this Cainan as a late interpolation absent from the Hebrew, the Samaritan, the Targums, and 1 Chronicles 1:24. The genealogy thus links forward to the line of Christ, but the textual divergence must be flagged: the connection is cross-Testament (Greek ↔ Hebrew) and cannot rest on shared Strong's numbers.

Luke 3:34 · Luke 3:35 · Luke 3:36

basis: Cross-Testament link (Greek NT ↔ Hebrew OT): the Luke refs are editorially supplied — they are not in the Verifier's thread_candidates, and the Verifier cannot compute them, since Greek and Hebrew use different Strong's systems and share no original-language lexeme. The link therefore cannot be tiered 'verbal.' It is flagged because the Lukan reading itself diverges: the inserted second Cainan (Luke 3:36, following the LXX) is judged an interpolation by Barnes, Cambridge, and the Pulpit Commentary against the Hebrew, the Samaritan, the Targums, and 1 Chr 1:24. The connection to this unit is genealogical/structural (the same Shem-to-Abram line, run in reverse toward Christ) and is contested at the text-critical level.

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

The line of the promised Seed ancient/widely-held

Matthew Henry reads the whole register as "a genealogy … ending in Abram, the friend of God, and thus leading towards Christ, the promised Seed, who was the son of Abram." Albert Barnes grounds this in the standing promises — "that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head" (Gen 3:15) and "that the Lord should be the God of Shem" (Gen 9:26) — concluding "the seed of the woman is to be expected in the line of Shem." Matthew Poole names these patriarchs outright as "the seminary of the church, and the progenitors of Christ." The bare list of names is the channel through which the protevangelium flows toward Bethlehem. This reading is ancient and widely held in the church.

Genesis 3:15 · Genesis 9:26 · Genesis 11:26 · Luke 3:34

Grace descending through idolaters and shortened lives ancient/widely-held

The genealogy's quiet shocks are themselves a witness to Christ. The chosen line passes straight through Terah, named an idol-server in Joshua 24:2 (so Poole: "the first patriarch who fell to idolatry"; Gill: "he was an idolater"), and through lifespans halving under the weight of the flood and Babel (Keil & Delitzsch). That God's redemptive purpose runs through idolatry and mortality, and not around them, foreshadows the gospel logic that culminates in Christ — who is born into precisely such a flawed human line (Matt 1:1–17) to redeem it. The application to Christ is widely held; the specific framing of this unit's pattern as a foreshadowing is the synthesis layer's own, offered to be tested.

Joshua 24:2 · Genesis 11:24 · Matthew 1:1 · Galatians 3:16

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Keil & Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1860s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Text-critical divergence is the dominant honesty issue in this unit. The Masoretic (Hebrew), Samaritan, and Septuagint texts disagree sharply on the patriarchs' ages: Ellicott records totals from Shem to Abram of 390 (Hebrew), 1,040 (Samaritan), and 1,270 (LXX); Cambridge tabulates all three plus the Book of Jubilees. The literal renderings and divergence-notes above follow the Masoretic numbers reflected in the BSB and the supplied parse; the alternate textual traditions are real and are flagged, not silently harmonized.

The Cainan question. The LXX (and Luke 3:36) insert a second Cainan between Arphaxad and Shelah. Barnes, Cambridge, and the Pulpit Commentary judge it an interpolation absent from the Hebrew, Samaritan, Targums, and 1 Chronicles 1:24; this is noted in the threads as a flagged, contested link rather than asserted.

On the genealogy as chronology. Ellicott cautions that "these genealogies were never intended for chronological purposes, and that so to employ them leads only to error," and the Pulpit Commentary shows that the registered son need not be the firstborn (Abram is named first in 11:26 yet born in Terah's 130th year, not his 70th). The machine layer therefore treats the numbers as the text gives them without building a dogmatic absolute chronology on top of them.

On the voices. Several commentators — Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, Joseph Benson, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, and Keil & Delitzsch — supply a single block-comment spanning the whole section 11:10–26; where such a voice is used under an individual verse, an editorial note marks it as excerpted from the section-comment. The JFB entry in the source data is keyed to the Babel verses (11:7) rather than the genealogy and was therefore not selected as a verse voice. Every voice printed is a verbatim, contiguous substring of the supplied source text, trimmed only at its ends.

On the cross-reference tiers. The shared-name threads were tiered against the actual lexeme frequencies the Verifier returns. The 1 Chronicles 1:18/24–27 and Genesis 10:21–25 parallels rest on genuinely rare names (Serug, 5 vv; Shelah, 7 vv; Peleg, 7 vv; Arphaxad, 9 vv) and are tiered verbal / quotation — confirmed. The Joshua 24:2 link was deliberately downgraded from verbal to structural / thematic: its only shared lexemes are the mid-frequency names Terah (11 vv) and Nahor (17 vv), and Joshua does not quote Genesis but independently names the same persons. The Luke 3:34–36 / Cainan link is cross-Testament, computable by no shared Strong's number, and text-critically contested, so it is flagged.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)